WORTH THE GAMBLE

CHAPTER THREE

CHARLOTTE

I glance around, as the warm hues of the orange and purplish sky stream through the windows, casting a serene glow over the familiar surroundings. I find myself standing in a corner of the house. A place that once felt like home.

A sudden, jarring thud reverberates through the space, causing me to flinch involuntarily. My heart sinks as I witness my father staggering in, his movements unsteady and his gaze clouded by the haze of alcohol. It's a sight I had become all too accustomed to in recent weeks, a painful reminder of the downward spiral that had consumed him.

As he lurches forward, barely able to maintain his balance, he bumps into everything in his way as my mother comes to his rescue, balancing him on his feet. He pushes her off him and she staggers back.

I attempt to rush to her side, to offer comfort or assistance, but my body refuses to obey.

I am frozen in place. At this moment, I am transported back to that fateful day when everything changed. The day when everything that I thought was going to be a constant in my life vanished in an instant.

''I've had enough of this.'' my mother says. Her voice, loud and clear. ''It's been a month and I've allowed you to wallow in your failure and misery for far too long.''

He had been removed from the board of directors for having violated his fiduciary duties. He'd engaged in transactions that directly benefited him at the expense of the company. Hence was now dealing with the result of his actions. The consequences of his actions had come crashing down upon him with all the force of a tidal wave, leaving him to grapple with the fallout of his deceit.

He scoffs. ''You've had enough? I've had enough!'' he yells.

I see two heads peeking from a corner. Younger versions of me and my brother, Levi. Our expressions, sad and scared.

''Do you think you're better than me?'' his words dripping with resentment as he takes unsteady steps toward her. ''Ooh, look at me. The big hotshot corporate lawyer.'' he mocks, his voice tinged with disdain.

Despite his attempts to provoke her, my mother remains stoic, not a word passing through her shield of resolve.

His frustration mounts as his words fail to elicit the desired response, and with an irritated twitch of his face, he turns and retreats to the bedroom, his steps more measured now than they were moments before.

I watch as my mother follows behind him, her presence a silent testament to her strength and resilience in the face of adversity.

I try to move again and this time I can. I follow behind them.

He's moving around the room and tossing his belongings in a suitcase

''What are you doing?'' my mother raised her voice for the first time that night or since my father had started not only tormenting himself but us as well.

''I'm leaving.'' He speaks.

''Where the hell are you going to go?''

''To someone who cares about me.'' He says zipping up the suitcase.

She scoffs. ''And who the hell is that?'' she asks.

He stays silent, eyeing the room for any of his belongings.

''I'm talking to you, damn it! Did you cheat on me?''

''I did.'' That's all he says before he starts to drag his suitcase behind him.

As if on cue, my younger brother rushes into the fray, throwing himself at our father's legs with all the strength his tiny frame can muster.

"Dad, don't go," his voice wavers with tears, his small body trembling with emotion as he clings desperately to our father's leg. Levi's eyes, filled with a mixture of fear and determination, his grip unyielding despite his size.